Territory mango production slumped in 2023, but still managed to top the nation

The Northern Territory may have suffered a huge cut in mango production this season, but it still came up trumps nationally. Here’s how researchers want to extend our mango season.

Mangoes 2024 Agribusiness Minister Mark Monaghan, Dr Muhammad Sohail Mazhar, Sally Heaton from DEET and Dr Saberi Saeedh-Taghadomi.

Territory researchers are looking at ways to extend the local mango season to maximise the commercial potential of the Top End’s big, blushing fruit.

Dr Muhammead Sohail Mazhar, senior director of plant industries with the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade, said research into developing new varieties is being done in conjunction with the search for new locations.

Dr Mazhar was speaking at Berrimah Farm’s plant industry building in Berrimah where scientists continue to work to get the most out of the Territory’s mighty mangoes.

He said boffins were taking a three-stage approach to growing the Territory’s mango industry with a focus on researching new varieties, propagation and diversification of varieties and market development.

Agribusiness Minister Mark Monaghan, Dr Muhammad Sohail Mazhar and Sally Heaton from the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade.

The three varieties being trialled are Yess!, to be ready up to a month before Kensington Prides, AhHa!, which are also early to mid-season and Now!, which are for late in the season.

“We are very much privileged here in the Northern Territory with the green Asian varieties that we have a very long mango season,” he said.

“They begin to appear from May, and the commercial activity starts in September and ends in December.

“We’d like to extend it either way if possible and for that we are working on new varieties which can start to flower early.

“The second aspect is extending the geographical region that we can expand either east or west so that the geographical region or the heat determines whether the fruit can mature from early or late in the season.”

And don’t be fooled into thinking mangoes are exclusively just a tangy Top End treat.

“A couple of years ago we planted new varieties in Ali Curung with the idea that will be the late of the season.

DITT research scientist Dr Saberi Saeedh-Taghadomi

“If the mango grows in that area, that will extend the mango season geographically. We also have plans to go north in the near future and that will be the early season crop.”

The NT this year produced 51 per cent of Australia’s total production crop, up from 49 per cent in 2022.

In total, 3.41m mango trays were picked and packed in the Territory this season, about 30 per cent down on last season, in part because of long bouts of hot weather and changes in the use of chemicals.

Sally Heaton, the NT’s chief plant officer, said a hotter than average season had impacted production, as it had across the rest of the country.

A last minute regulatory change by the Australian Pest and Veterinary Medicine Authority which saw insecticide dimethoate banned from farms nationally in September 2023 also had an impact.

“They banned the use of one of the most commonly used chemicals so we had to scramble and we worked really closely with industry to find alternative pathways and we managed to get through,” she said.

“We’re aware there’s more changes coming, that they’re reviewing their chemicals so those changes have to be made and we’re going to be working with industry and with the other jurisdictions to make sure that we’ve got other pathways in place and we can get the mangoes to market.”

Originally published as Territory mango production slumped in 2023, but still managed to top the nation